


it's where my demons hide

by moxie_girl



Series: it's where my demons hide [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: (nobody knows that tho), Alfred Pennyworth is Agent A, Alternate Universe, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Batfamily Meets Justice League, Batman didn't join the justice league, Batman is a spooky cryptid, Carrie Kelley is also Robin, Cassandra Cain is Batgirl, Creepy Batfamily (DCU), Cryptid Batfamily (DCU), Cryptid Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nighthawk, Duke Thomas is Signal, How Do I Tag, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Minor Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Minor Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain, Minor Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ships are minor - Freeform, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Tim Drake is Red Robin, We'll get there, almost forgot her, cant forget my girl, eventually, maybe? - Freeform, no beta we die like jason todd, not main focus, not too scary unless you're the JL tho, possibly more - Freeform, there will be creepy descriptions of stuff be warned, we'll see, wow so many tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moxie_girl/pseuds/moxie_girl
Summary: another cryptid batfam AU! hooray![titles from "demons" by imagine dragons]
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Bruce Wayne, Batfamily Members & Justice League (DCU), Dick Grayson/Wally West, Minor Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne - Relationship, maybe more we'll see - Relationship, minor Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain - Relationship, minor Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent - Relationship
Series: it's where my demons hide [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164578
Comments: 229
Kudos: 672





	1. at the curtain's call is the last of all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the myths behind the fam!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yet another AU idea my brain won't leave alone  
> sorry :(

* * *

The Bats were the first of many. The stories claim they were born from the darkest corners of Gotham, created from injustice and cruelty. Twin spirits, protectors of the city. At first, it was written off as a combination of old myths and some new wannabe vigilantes. 

But it soon became clear the Bats were not human. The Batman is silent as the night and dark as it too. Nobody has seen him up close, but criminals who got too close claim many things. 

“The Bat is taller than two men standing up,” they whisper in hushed voices as if afraid something might overhear. “He has bat-like wings and ears, and his eyes glow like the devil,” one mumbles into his glass, “you can shoot him a hundred times, and still he stays standing,” another complains as he wipes down a pistol with a rag. 

The stories vary, yet one thing is true: you do not want to get caught by the Bat. 

The Batwoman, they say, is the Batman's sister spirit. She dresses in black too, and her hair and lips drip red with blood. One terrified man claims that when she smiles, fangs are visible. She is not around as much, but nevertheless, the type of scumbags that target young women in alleyways have learned that the Batwoman always comes when they scream.

The Bats protect the city together, but they are not alone.

* * *

Robin is the next. However, nobody can agree on what Robin looks like. Some claim they are a boy, others a girl. Sometimes younger, others older, sometimes bright, and others dark. It is widely accepted that there is more than one Robin. They are a flock, gathered by the Batman. His brood, some say.

Many believe that Robins are the spirits of children murdered unjustly, recruited by the Bat to serve him. Robins do not dress in black like Bats, but rather in bright colors reminiscent of a circus. Despite that, some criminals are more terrified of the Robins then even the Bats. 

The Bat will simply knock you out, take care of you. Robins will  _ talk _ to you. They make odd jokes with an inhuman, chirping call. They laugh, and sing, and smile, all childlike glee and too-sharp teeth. There is no question of their inhumanity. 

Robins leave blood wherever they touch, they move and twist inhumanly, and some claim they can fly as well as their namesakes. The two Robins known as of now are as different as can be, but they work in tandem in a way no mortal could accomplish. 

One is (presumed) male and carries a sword. He is darker than many other Robins, covering bright colors in a tattered black cloak and rarely speaking, preferring to chirp. 

The other is (possibly) female and carries a slingshot loaded with explosives. The childlike weapon has led many to wonder how young she died. She cracks jokes in a strange, trilling voice, and only the other Robin laughs. 

The Robins are the first, but not the last.

* * *

The Batgirl is the next strange creature. They say the Bats created her in their image, that she is the daughter of the Batman. 

There have been three documented Batgirls, although many suspect she is a shapeshifter.

The first seemed almost human at the beginning, but she soon changed. Her red hair began to drip with blood. Her purple costume became black. Her fangs grew sharper, her movements quieter. 

The second was blonde, her hair dirty and matted with clumps. She joked like the Robins, but the little clicks she made between words reminded others she was still a Bat. This form of Batgirl did not last very long.

The third Batgirl is the current one. She dresses in all black and never speaks. Her mouth is stitched shut, some say, and that is why. She fights with a trained grace, fluid in her movements, and quick with her strikes. She is the most similar to the Bat. 

Some still believe there was more than one Batgirl, but the prevailing theory from many conspiracists is thus: Batgirl evolved over the years, from a human child to a spirit identical to the Bat. 

There are whispers that if anything were to happen to the Bats, she would take their places. Batgirl is the Batman's heir.

* * *

The Nighthawk is a curious case. He is born, as the stories tell, like the Bat, but from Blüdhaven. 

However, he is not always there. More and more, recently, the Nighthawk can be found in Gotham, alongside the Bats. "They stole him from us," an outraged few claim, but many are happy to see him go. Blüdhaven has enough issues without a vengeful spirit of justice patrolling the streets. 

The Nighthawk is the most human of all of the Bats, but that is relative. If you get close, you can see that his eyes flash in low light. His teeth are too sharp, his movements too fluid. He can jump like a cat and fly like a bird, some say, and he fights with batons crackling with unearthly electricity. 

He is also one of the most talkative Bats, although his voice is eternally raspy as if from disuse. His jokes and quips, so similar to that of the Robins, makes one wonder who taught who.

He also drips blue blood, so unlike the red left behind by many other Bats, marking him forever as the Blüdhaven spirit. 

The Nighthawk may not be one of the Bats in origin, but he certainly is in action.

* * *

The Red Hood was not always a Bat. He used to be a lone spirit, wandering about the Gotham underworld, exposed skull red and dripping with blood. Some claim he was killed in a gang shootout. Some believe it was drug-related. Others still think it was the Joker. 

He stalked around Crime Alley, eyes glowing white with vengeance and guns at the ready. The Red Hood went for the worst of the worst, and he would not hesitate to kill. It was what set him apart from the Bats, who, despite their inhumanity and terrifying appearances, never intentionally killed. (Except the Joker, but that is a story for another day.)

But one day, things changed. The Red Hood was spotted fighting alongside the Batman. On his chest, once-smooth kevlar was now marred by a gaping wound, dripping blood in the shape of a bat. 

Criminals stopped turning up dead, signature red bullet to the head and a bloody handprint on their chests, and instead showed up on the doorstep of the GCPD, rubber bullets in their knees and marked with a splattered bat emblem.

It is official. The Red Hood is one of the Bats now. This incident, along with the mystery of Nighthawk, let people know the Bat is growing his brood, preparing for something big.

Criminals whisper in the underworld. Reporters type up articles. 

“You better watch out. The Bat is recruiting.”

* * *

The Cat was once a petty jewel thief. Catwoman was known for her high-tech gadgets, fondness for jewelry, and tendency to flirt with anything that moved. But one day, she caught the Bat’s eye. 

She started robbing things in a way to lure him in. She flirted with him, the Bat, the Dark Knight of Gotham. And so began the oddest game of cat and mouse in the city’s history. Many thought her insane. Her partners in crime tried to warn her, but it was too late. 

When Catwoman resurfaced, she was different. Her pupils slit, her claws sharpened, the Cat lives up to her name. Instead of stealing from museums and stores, she steals from corrupt businessmen and criminal enterprises.

She does not wear their symbol, but it is evident she is now a Bat. She patrols the streets with the Batman, more feline than human. She only ever flirts with him now, though he never responds. The Bat has taken her as his mate. 

It made some worry about what would happen if they caught the eye of one of the Bats? Would they be stolen away, transformed into a spirit to join them forever? Others wonder whether this means the Bat will have an heir with the Cat.

What everyone agrees on is that the Catwoman is the beginning of a new era of Bats.

* * *

Oracle is a sort of technological spirit. Nobody knows much about them, except that they work for the Bats and do their tech work for them. 

It started when Commissioner Jim Gordon found an unknown file on his computer desktop at the GCPD. Further investigation revealed it was a comprehensive list of dirt on a wealthy socialite, whose name is not relevant to this story. The last document in the file simply read:

“Use this as you must. -Oracle.” followed by a little bat logo. Word only spread after that. 

Mob bosses would find their computers shut down, files wiped or sent to the cops, screens replaced with a staticky green image of a snake. More and more files showed up in GCPD servers, to the point where Jim bought a new computer to serve as a sort of drop-box.

Some charities and struggling businesses, especially ones impacted by recent villain attacks, find large deposits to their bank accounts under the name of "Oracle". The banks are never able to find out how Oracle got in.

The most popular theory is that Oracle was created from the darkest corners of the internet, that the Bat brought her to life the way he was from the shadows of Gotham.

Some think that there's another Bat-spirit on the other end of the computer, Oracle's physical form, but many believe that nobody, human or otherwise, could ever hack so well.

Oracle sees all. Oracle knows all.

* * *

The Red Robin used to be a Robin. Then he grew, changed into his own type of spirit. That is the story whispered throughout the bowels of Gotham, anyway. 

He fights with a magic staff that some claim he can summon out of nowhere whenever he needs it. He has two scarlet wings that spring from his back, but nobody has ever gotten close enough to know if they are naturally red or just soaked in blood. 

The Red Robin moves in a strange, jerking fashion as if he is unused to the human form he has. He rarely speaks, instead communicating through chirps and birdsong unique to him. 

His other strange abilities include the capability to hack a device with only a touch, although “possess” might be a more fitting phrase.

His hair is dark and loose, matted with dried blood, and too similar to the hair in a few photos of an older Robin. 

It makes one wonder, if the Red Robin evolved, can the others too? Have they already? 

And if the Bats are all capable of changing and growing like this, what will happen if they become more powerful? 

* * *

Spoiler is a cautionary tale. She used to be normal, as human as can be. 

She was the daughter of a minor villain and took up vigilantism to stop him. She used to be the only human vigilante in Gotham. She dressed in a purple cloak and domino mask and fought her father, the Cluemaster, cracking bad jokes all the while. 

But she did not last long. One night, she vanished completely. When Spoiler returned many months later, the yellow bat on her chest told everyone what had happened. 

Now, she creeps about in the shadows, dripping blood, her face blank and smooth. They say she can only speak by stealing the faces of others. 

Yet it is clearly still the same person, or spirit, as the original Spoiler. Sometimes, you can catch a glimpse of blonde hair when her hood slips down her shoulders. Other times, her face will morph briefly into a visage that might have once been her own, in time for her to slip out a bad pun before the face cracks apart and smooths over.

Some believe that the Bats took her to train her, saw some odd potential in her spirit. Others think he took her to make an example of her, a warning for those who might try to be a hero. 

When she is spotted with the Batgirl, many speculate that she might have claimed Spoiler, the way the Bat claimed Catwoman. Whatever the story is, it turns Spoiler into a story for young children. 

“Don’t go out at night,” a boy whispers to his wide-eyed younger sister, “or the Bats will steal you like Spoiler and make you their own.”

* * *

The Signal is the newest Bat. They say he was created to solve one of the Bats’ biggest problems. 

You see, the Bats are all nocturnal. They are almost only ever seen at night, leading to some wild conspiracies about vampires, but that is not the point. The point is, if you committed a crime in Gotham in broad daylight, there was a much lower chance you would get caught, at least until sundown. 

That is where the Signal comes in. The Signal was once merely a beacon, a call used to summon the Bat. It was a simple tool, projecting a bat insignia into the gloomy night sky and bringing a Bat to meet with the police commissioner. 

The stories say that to reward the beacon for its work and have a Bat that could work in the day, the Batman brought it to life.

And thus sprung the Signal, a Bat clad in yellow and black. He always seemed to be emitting a faint light and was capable of manipulating it and the surrounding shadows to his will. 

One wide-eyed Arkham inmate claims that the Signal can see into the future, that he can dodge bullets before they are fired, can block punches before they are thrown. Nobody knows if that is true, but many are more cautious around him after the story gets out.

The Signal never speaks, only communicating through static-like hisses and crackles. The other Bats seem to have no problem understanding him when they are together, though. 

The Bats and the Signal may be as different as night and day, but if the symbol on his chest has anything to say about it, he is one of them nonetheless.

* * *

The Bats’ brood is a curious thing. Information about them comes from an amalgamation of urban myths and blurred sightings, but there is no doubt they are real. 

The Bats protect the city like strange and twisted guardian angels, protecting innocents from the darker threats that lurk in the shadows. 

Gotham may not have heroes like Superman or Wonder Woman, or even vigilantes like the Arrows, but the city is proud of the spirits that protect it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will probably continue this...  
> pls let me know what u think in the comments!


	2. don't get too close, it's dark inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> clark is thoroughly traumatized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two! not quite as long
> 
> i have never touched a batman comic in my life. sorry for any ooc. or timeline fuckery.

**The Watchtower**

_ orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth _

Barry hates big League meetings. They’re sooooo booooring. I mean, really? Spending three hours discussing minor issues and the like is  _ not  _ his idea of fun. 

This one is no less boring. They’re discussing new additions to the League, and Barry is almost asleep in his chair. This really doesn’t concern him. Jay is retired, Bart is too young to join, and Wally got his membership a few months ago. 

Then, Diana stands up and clears her throat, and the whole room snaps to attention. Everyone listens when she speaks. The look on her face is pretty serious, too. Absently, Barry wonders whether that should be concerning him more than it is.

“On the topic of new membership, I have an important topic I would like to bring to your attention,” she begins, and yeah,  _ now  _ Barry’s concerned. “It has come to my attention that Gotham actually has a few heroes of its own. I would like for us to contact them.”

The room is silent for a few seconds as people process. Barry has heard the stories of the Batman and his brood, vague murmurings the few times he was in Gotham, and none of them are good. 

Next to him, Wally tenses. He hopes Wally isn’t scared of the Bats. That would make this… awkward.

Hal is the first to speak up. “ _ Batman _ ?” he asks incredulously, sounding as if he wished he had heard wrong. “You mean like the creepy spirit that haunts Gotham?  _ That  _ Batman?”

This causes the room to erupt.

“You want to invite a  _ ghost  _ onto the team!?”

“We’re going to have to go to  _ Gotham _ !?”

“ _ What _ !?”

Diana clears her throat (again). “Enough! This is not a discussable topic. Kal, did you get the assignment?”

All heads in the room turn to Clark. He nods.

“I am going to Gotham under the guise of an article about the Bats. We will meet tomorrow to discuss the findings and plan our next course of action.” So Clark is in on this, too. Barry glances around, trying to see if anyone else doesn't look surprised, and-  _ there _ !

Arthur must have known beforehand as well. Actually, Barry isn’t surprised. Those three are often referred to as the “Big Three” of the League.

His suspicions are confirmed as Arthur stands up. “This meeting is dismissed. Meet you all here this time tomorrow.”

As Barry pushes out of the room, he glances back at Wally, who thankfully seems to have gotten over his bout of stiff-limbed fear. Now, he’s texting someone with a smirk on his face. Wally’s phone dings and his grin turns dopey and love-struck as he reads the message. Barry makes a mental note to tease him about it later.

* * *

**Silver Diner**

_ a small street in downtown Gotham _

Clark fidgets, nervous, as he waits for his contact. Perry had gotten him an interview with some kid, which Clark wasn’t all that happy with. He would have preferred an adult, but apparently, the boy was the only person willing to speak to him.

It makes a nervous feeling settle in the pit of his stomach. Were Gothamites really  _ so  _ scared of the Bats that they refused to talk about them?

Clark is pulled from his thoughts as the bell on the door rings. In walks a teenage boy with curly dark hair and a bright yellow sweater patterned with black spots. He picks his way across the room and settles into the booth across from Clark. 

The boy extends his hand. “Nice to meet you, …?”

“Please, call me Clark,” he reaches out and shakes it, “and you are?”

“I’d prefer to remain anonymous, actually.” He fiddles with the hem of his sweater for a second before looking back at Clark. 

“I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Clark begins, “I’m writing an article about the Batman and his associates. What can you tell me?”

The minute he mentions the Bats, the boy’s whole demeanor changes. His body stiffens, and he glances from side to side as if looking for eavesdroppers. Then he leans in.

“Look, man,” he’s speaking in a low whisper now, “I wouldn’t go asking around about the Bats. They mind their business, we mind ours, and the city stays safe. You get too close, and you might join them.”

It’s spooky-sounding, alright, but Clark isn’t scared off easily. 

“Sorry, kid, but I need anything you can tell me.”

The teen’s face darkens. He abruptly stands up and, placing his hands on the table, leans in closer to Clark than he’s comfortable with. Gone are the nervous glances, and the look on his face is almost scary. 

He grabs Clark’s wrist and growls out, through clenched teeth, “Be careful where you stick your nose,  _ Mr. Kent.  _ It might get you into trouble someday.”

Then, he’s gone. Clark blinks, bewildered, and looks to the door. The bell jingles as it swings shut, but he doesn’t spot the boy’s distinctive sweater anywhere. He focuses, preparing to find the kid’s heartbeat, but-

Come to think of it, he can’t recall hearing anything from the kid but a low, static-like hiss. No heartbeat, no breathing, Clark isn’t even sure the teen had blinked. But then again, maybe he was just hearing things. This whole mission had him jumping at shadows.

He walks out the door and turns to the nearest person, a teenage girl with a bob cut who’s sitting at one of the outside tables, and asks, “Did you see a boy with a yellow sweater walk out? Which direction did he go?” 

The girl looks at him, confused.

“Who?” 

“I was sitting with him inside?” Clark clarifies, but this just makes the woman more confused. Her seatmate, a blonde girl with whom she’s sharing a milkshake, turns to him.

“You were sitting alone in there, man. I don’t know what you saw, but…" She trails off.

This doesn’t make any sense, but according to their heartbeats, they’re not lying, so Clark apologizes before heading off towards his car.

When he reaches for the car door handle, he spots something on his wrist. It turns out to be a bloody handprint, exactly where the kid had grabbed him. 

Unnerved, Clark speeds off towards Metropolis. 

He realizes, halfway home, that he never told the boy his last name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've seen similar scenes to the second one in a few fics, but it's always steph. i figured duke should get his time to shine.
> 
> please talk to me i crave human interaction  
> also pls let me know if u spot any typos


	3. look into my eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> camera footage is reviewed. also, it’s hal’s turn to meet some bats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, another chapter! i still have no plot planned so...
> 
> a reminder that i have never read a batman comic in my life all info and characterization comes from fanfic

**The Batcave**

_ unknown location under Gotham _

Deep underground, in a shadowy cavern, a group of people in colorful costumes crowd around a large glowing screen. They watch silently as one of the smaller figures, dressed in red, black, and gold, rapidly types on a large keyboard. Suddenly, the person lets out a loud shout and pumps their fist in the air. The others all cheer and focus their vision on the screen.

“Alright, I edited together the videos from Duke’s bodycam, Steph’s phone, and Jason’s helmet-cam. You ready to watch?” asks the one at the keyboard.

“Tt. Took you long enough, Drake.” says one in red and green, dressed in a dark cloak.

“Hey, be nice to Rep-Timmy. He’s the one with the finger on the play button to the funniest video you’ll see all month.” reprimands one with a leather jacket and a white stripe in their hair.

“Wow, Jay  _ defending _ Tim? Never thought I’d see the day!” announces one in blue and black and another dressed mainly in yellow murmurs in agreement.

“I agree with Jason,” nods the one in purple and grey before stopping and frowning. “Wow, that felt weird to say.”

The group seems prepared to bicker more, but one of them, dressed all in black, holds up a hand.

“Stop. Watch now.”

The one at the chair, Tim, takes that as confirmation.

“You got it, Cass!” He presses play.

_ Shaky footage, about shoulder height. It focuses on the face across from it. Clark Kent, aka Superman. He’s saying something, but the body cam isn’t equipped for sound.  _

_ Suddenly, the camera jolts upwards. You can see the person filming's hands. If you look carefully, as one of the hands lifts up, you can see a small device, hidden by a sleeve, squirt a small amount of fake blood out. _

“Fake blood. Always a nice touch.” murmurs a girl in a traffic-light colored costume. 

“Shush,  _ Caroline _ !” The woman in the wheelchair next to her elbows her in the side. 

“Shush yourself,  _ Barbara.”  _ She bats Babs’s arm away, and they both focus back on the screen.

_ The bloody hand reaches out and grabs Clark’s wrist. He looks suddenly terrified.  _

The group bursts into laughter.

“What did you  _ say _ to him, Duke?” Carrie wheezes out. 

Duke looks pleased with himself as he recounts the tale. By the end, even the stoic-looking man standing in the back is smirking a little. Tim pauses the video in annoyance and gives them time to calm down. Eventually, they do, and he starts the video again.

_ The camera view switches from the bodycam to blurry phone footage. It tracks Duke as he darts out the door, and by the time a stunned Clark realizes he’s gone, he has ducked down a side alley and out of sight. The camera zooms in on his face and then stops right as he makes an expression of extreme shock. _

Tim spins around in his chair.

“This, folks, is the exact moment he realizes he can’t hear Duke’s heartbeat!”

The whole room erupts (again). A woman with red hair and a black cape has to lean on a nearby table to steady herself. The one in black and blue is almost  _ crying _ from joy. The boy in the dark cloak offers Duke a high-five.

“What’s this for, Dami?” 

“You did an… adequate job with the alien,” Damian explains, “I doubt many others in our family could do better.” Duke accepts the high-five and is about to answer when the black-and-blue-jumpsuit boy bounds over.

“Aww, he called us his family! Did you hear that, Little Wing? He admitted we’re his family!” He scoops Damian up in a hug.

“I’m pretty sure he was insulting us, Dickhead!” replies Jason. Damian squirms around in Dick’s grasp.

“Unhand me at once, Grayson!” Dick only hugs him tighter, prompting the girl in purple to snap a photo. Damian wrestles his way out of Dick’s arms and lunges at her.

“Delete that now, Brown!” He hollers and begins chasing her around the cave. He’s got her cornered on top of a giant coin before a man dressed in black and grey intervenes.

“Damian, stop chasing Stephanie. Steph, stop antagonizing Damian.”

“But Father-” Damian turns to the man with what could only be described as a pout on his face. He realizes what he's doing too late, and Stephanie snaps another photo before he can school his feature back into a mask of indifference. 

She chuckles and slides off the penny. “Thanks, Bruce.”

From his chair, Tim clears his throat, but nobody hears him except the black-leather-clad woman at his side. She cups her hands around her mouth and yells so loud it echoes around the cave.

“All right, everyone, back to the video!”

The group all stop mid-action before crowding back around Tim.

“Thanks, Selina.” He murmurs under his breath, and Selina pats him on the arm.

“Anytime, kitten.” They turn to the screen.

_ As Clark approaches the table, the phone shifts, presumably out of his direct line of sight. The slightly muffled audio begins, and Clark asks Cass about Duke, only to be met with confusion. Steph responds similarly, and by some miracle, they both manage to keep straight faces.  _

The look on his face is enough to send the room into fits of laughter yet again. Steph fist-bumps Cass before turning to Bruce.

“Bet you’re glad you trained us to lie so well, huh?” Bruce smirks and nods.

_ The screen changes to Jason’s helmet-cam as he follows Clark rushing away from the diner. _

“Wow, you really spooked him.” Babs comments, prompting more giggles.

_ Clark stops at the door of his car, the camera zooming in to catch his startled expression at his bloody wrist before he jumps in the car and speeds away. The screen cuts to black. _

Everyone is silent for a moment, but then-

“How did he not notice!” Carrie bursts out, and suddenly everyone is talking.

“He has super-senses!” laughs Jason.

“His  _ face _ !” Dick practically cries.

Bruce chuckles and wipes a tear from his eye. “That was the best thing I've seen in  _ ages. _ ”

Steph staggers over to Selina, who in turn is leaning on Babs. Damian is trying valiantly to hide his laughter, but Cass drags him back over, giggling, and he gives up. Tim offers Duke a fist-bump.

As the chatter winds down, a door at the top of a staircase creaks open, revealing a primly dressed older man standing in the opening.

“I do believe it is time to eat,” he calls down, and everyone’s head turns towards him. “Those of you who do not have patrol should come up to eat as soon as possible.”

He turns to leave, but before he can, the red-headed woman with the black costume yells after him, “What’s for dinner, Alfred?”

Alfred stops and looks back.

“You’ll have to come up and find out, Miss Katherine. And please change out of your suit. We can’t have any visitors coming over and finding any of you dressed like this.” 

Kate grumbles but nods. Alfred, satisfied, closes the door and walks back to the kitchen.

Before everyone can leave to change, Dick’s phone dings, and he tugs it out of a pocket. He reads the text before showing the screen to Tim.

“We’ve got intel. They’re sending Hal. Also, he’s pretty on edge from what he heard from Clark, so that'll be fun.” Dick turns to Bruce, asking a silent question.

“Steph and Cass, you’re up. See if you can get them to leave us alone. We need you to be as creepy as possible.”

The two girls nod and pull on their cowls. Voice modifiers on, fake blood at the ready, and they’re off. The rest of the group crowds back around the computer, where Tim is live-projecting their body cam footage. 

Let the show begin.

* * *

**The Bat-Signal**

_ GCPD building, roof _

Hal stands on the dark rooftop, fidgeting nervously. He heard from Barry, who heard from someone at the lab, who heard from a friend at the GCPD, who apparently, heard from Commissioner Gordon himself that this signal, when lit, summons the Bats. 

He’s not sure whether to believe anything coming from Barry’s gossip channels, but it’s the only lead he has. Hesitantly, he reaches over to pull the lever, but his hand stops halfway. 

Okay, so maybe he’s procrastinating. But can you blame him? He’s about to willingly summon the feared Dark Knight of Gotham to meet with him. 

Hal’s heard the rumors of the Bat and his brood. Perhaps if he’s lucky, he’ll summon one of the Batman’s… Children? Spawn? Partners? Instead of the Bat himself. 

He shudders, crosses his fingers, and pulls the switch. The ancient spotlight fizzes on, letting out a few sparks and a puff of smoke before lighting up. Hal follows the beam of light up into the sky, where a shadowy bat is now projected against the cloudy Gotham sky. 

Mere seconds after the signal lights up, two figures melt out of the shadows next to him. Hal bites back a yelp of surprise and turns to the figures, looking them up and down.

The one on the left looks the most like a bat. It is mostly black, with pointed ears on the top of its head and a ragged cape that gives it a wraith-like appearance. On its chest appears to be a gaping wound in the shape of a bat, not dissimilar to the one currently projected on the clouds, dripping blood. 

Hal gulps and looks away, up to its face, and promptly almost screams (again). Where a mouth should be is instead black... fabric(?), which looks as if there was once an opening before it was sewn up. The eyes are two dark, empty sockets, but Hal gets the feeling they are staring into his soul. 

Overall, they are the more likely of the two to be the Batman, but their general body shape seems more female. Maybe the Bat is a shape-shifter. 

The spirit on the right also appears to be female. She (?) is cloaked in brighter colors, relatively speaking, though the dark purples and greys still blend into shadows at the edges. 

She does not have much of a face either, instead just a blank grey expanse, shadowed under a hood. She also has a matching wound on her chest, just like the other. Perhaps it’s a bat-thing? 

Now, Hal may seem like he’s being calm, but these rational analyses are actually happening mostly subconsciously. Most of Hal’s brain is currently occupied with the mental equivalent of running around and screaming like a chicken with its head cut off.

He tries for speech a few times before finally managing out: “I-I’m here to talk about th-the Justice League?” He’s pretty proud of himself for that, even if he stuttered a few times and it came out sounding like a question.

The two demons circle him a few times, like sharks on the hunt. Hal is practically shaking in his boots. The darker one finally stops, and tilting its (her?) head at him like a curious bird, rasps out, “Unwelcome.”

Hal whirls around to the other and has to stifle another shout of surprise. What was once blank and grey is now swirling with odd colors. 

Her face morphs and shifts until he’s staring into the eyes of a twisted version of his own face. The mouth opens, and the voice that comes out seems like an inhuman mockery of his own.

“Leave.”

Hal staggers away, and he’s almost hyperventilating as he stammers out, “wh-who are y-you?”

The purple one’s face contorts in agony before it morphs again, shifting into what could have once been the face of a young girl, wide blue-and-brown eyes and delicate features, but is now twisted by this odd spirit.

She points to herself, “Spoiler,” then to the other, “Batgirl.”

Then, they’re gone, leaving nothing but bloody footprints that vanish off the edge of the rooftop.

Hal collapses backward, hurriedly shutting the spotlight off. He really doesn’t want to deal with any more Bat-demons tonight.

As he frantically flies as fast as he can away from Gotham, Hal decides that he would have preferred one “Batman” to those two terrifying spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the face-mimic spoiler mask is not my idea! i saw it in another cryptid batfam fic and thought "wow that looks cool" so yeah
> 
> ***edit: [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20196670/chapters/47856574#workskin) it is!***
> 
> let me know what you think!


	4. this is all for you, don't want to hide the truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dick is a flirt. barry is confused. wally is embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not dead!! suprise!!!  
> this took a while and im still not happy with it but at this point...  
> updating schedule?? whos she??

**The Watchtower**

_ orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth _

Hal fidgets in his seat as he waits for his turn to debrief. The rest of the League seems eager to hear about his encounter with Spoiler and the Batgirl, but he is not excited to recount the previous night’s events.

He barely got any sleep as it is, and in this case, Hal’s pretty sure that talking about it is  _ not _ going to help. 

His time to talk comes far too soon, in his opinion, and so now Hal awkwardly stands up, spinning his ring around, and begins to speak.

As Hal recounts the meeting, he watches as everyone else gets more nervous. By the time he’s finished, Wally is sitting stone-still, Clark is very pointedly  _ not _ making eye contact, and J’onn looks deep in thought. 

Then, Diana, Arthur, and Clark turn away from the table and begin whispering among each other. Hal’s used to it, but he still sometimes wishes they would include him. Like,  _ come on _ ! He’s been on this team as long as they have!

Arthur, appearing to have made a decision, rises from his seat.

“The Flashes will go on a trip to Blüdhaven. It is close to Gotham, and I believe that there is information to be found. Your speed will allow you to work fast and get out quick if necessary.”

Wally groans. “Why do  _ I _ have to be the one to go to Blüdhaven?”

“You  _ live _ in Blüdhaven!” Barry hisses, elbowing him.

“Yeah,” Wally continues, looking distressed, “Which means I know I shouldn't be running around there in costume! Just because it’s not Gotham doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own problems!”

“Enough!” Diana stands up. “Your knowledge of Blüdhaven will be crucial to this mission. This is not up for discussion.”

Wally grumbles, but the topic soon changes to some new supervillain, and Hal stops paying attention. 

He feels kinda bad for Wally. Mostly, though, he's relieved that he won’t have to go back near Gotham anytime soon. Hal hopes the spirits that the Flashes run (ha, run) into are at least slightly friendlier.

* * *

**Unidentified Roof**

_ abandoned mall, Blüdhaven _

Tonight has been  _ useless _ . So far, Barry and Wally haven’t found anyone willing to talk to them about the famed Gotham Bat. It seems, even in Blüdhaven, they’re scared of him. 

Barry thinks they’ve run around the city at least five times. He’s starting to get bored, but he’s also supposed to be the  _ responsible adult _ for Wally (who’s not that young, but still), so that means running in circles until they catch a sign of  _ something _ .

They’re stopped on a rooftop, eating to regain energy, when all the lampposts on the block flicker out. Barry feels dread pool in his gut, and Wally is looking around nervously.

Suddenly, seemingly from nowhere, a dark figure flips down next to them. Wally jumps nearly a foot in the air. 

The figure laughs, a rasping cackle that sends a shiver up Barry’s spine. A single streetlight flickers on below them, providing enough light that Barry can get a better look at the figure.

He appears to be male, dressed in a skintight black bodysuit. On his chest is a blue logo that resembles a bird, stretching down his arms to the tips of his fingers. He has black hair and a black domino, and if Barry didn’t know any better, he’d say the man is just another costumed hero, not unlike himself.

But there’s something… odd about him. 

He moves like something mimicking a human, but the way his joints bend as he stalks forward is  _ off _ . As he gets closer, Barry realizes the bird symbol on his chest is dripping blue liquid. 

Every part of him wants to believe that it’s paint or something, but it looks far too much like blood. Barry is a CSI. He knows what blood looks like, even if it’s dark blue. There’s also some blood smeared on the creature’s face and matted in his hair. 

The hero(?) tilts his head at Barry like a curious bird.

“What are you doing here?” he rasps, and Barry has to suppress another shiver at his voice. 

It’s probably not a good idea, Barry decides, to answer the question and spill League secrets to an unknown, probably-not-human vigilante. Well, to be fair, most of the League isn’t exactly  _ human _ , but the point is-

Wally apparently hasn’t come to the same conclusion because he frantically stutters out, “We- we’re here to find out more a-about the Batman!”

The spirit frowns and slips towards Wally. 

“The Bat does not take kindly to metas in his city,” and here, Barry wants to point out that they’re not  _ actually  _ in Gotham, but he decides interrupting the bloody demon-thing is  _ probably  _ a bad idea, “Be careful where you poke your nose.”

Then, the creature reaches out to Wally, and Barry tenses, ready for anything, but he just strokes Wally’s cheek, smearing it with blue blood.

“It would be a shame if someone as  _ pretty _ as you were to… get in trouble.” The spirit practically  _ purrs _ .

Wally’s face turns bright red. “I- I have a boyfriend!” he stutters out.

Ah yes, Officer Grayson. Barry likes him, he’s cheerful and kind, and Wally is very clearly head over heels for him. Dick is far too nice for a place like Blüdhaven, in Barry’s opinion, but he refused all offers to move to Central, so Wally moved instead.

He thinks Dick would actually make a good hero, with his acrobatic skills (Barry’s never seen them, but he’s heard about the Flying Graysons) and near-reckless bravery. But when he brought it up, Dick shot the idea down, saying that he didn’t need any more stress in his life. 

For some reason, Wally found that  _ hilarious _ . Probably an inside joke.

But back to the present. 

The creature steps back, smirking, and Barry catches a glimpse of teeth far too sharp for his liking. 

“Call me Nighthawk.” he grins, and the lone streetlamp flickers out. Barry can barely make out a dark shape, flipping off the side of the building. He rushes to the edge, pulling out a flashlight from his belt, but the only sign of Nighthawk is a rippling pool of blue blood spreading across the sidewalk.

Barry looks at Wally, Wally looks at Barry, and they  _ run _ .

* * *

**The Grayson-West Apartment**

_ apartment building, Blüdhaven _

When Wally  _ finally _ gets back from the debrief, Dick is cooking dinner. He zips over and whispers in his ear, “Smells good.”

He’s disappointed when Dick doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he turns to him and plants a quick kiss on his lips before returning to the meal.

“You’re not as quiet as you’d like to think, babe.”

Wally places a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Wow,  _ rude _ !”

They fall into a familiar banter as Dick finishes cooking, Wally carefully not touching anything in the kitchen. (“You couldn’t cook to save your life, Walls.” “Hey, if it was up to you, we’d just be eating Lucky Charms!” “Yeah, but at least I  _ know  _ how to make something other than Lucky Charms.” “Shut  _ uuuup _ .”)

When dinner is wrapping up, their light chatter turns to a more serious topic.

“So, how’s the League going?” Dick asks, and Wally groans.

“They’re so  _ annoying _ ! They’re determined to talk to Bruce, and they  _ still _ aren’t giving up! They’re thinking of sending in  _ Diana _ next!” He sighs and puts his head in his hands. Dick pats his back consolingly.

“It’s okay! We’ll just keep sending Bats until they get scared or tired.”

“Speaking of that,” Wally frowns, “Did you really have to act like  _ that _ in front of Uncle B? You’re so embarrassing.”

His boyfriend smirks. “I live to embarrass you!”

“Baaa _aaabe_ ,” Wally whines, hiding his blush.

“Is it too late to join your side?” He mumbles into his arms, and Dick giggles. “I’ll just say you, like, bit me or something.”

Dick snorts. “We’re not vampires, babe.”

“Close enough.”

They get into a debate about what constitutes a vampire, and as Dick passionately explains why Twilight was stupid (“Vampires don’t  _ glitter _ , Walls! They’re not even real, but come on!”), Wally thinks there is no other place he’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some domestic birdflash fluff. as a treat.
> 
> any and all comments welcome. plz let me know if there are typos. please. quarantine is gettin to me.


	5. no matter what we breed, we still are made of greed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oliver doesn’t like children. especially demon children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i have a plot planned out now? kinda?  
> (sry abt how long this took power has been sketchy this weekend)

**Wayne Manor**

_ 1007 Mountain Drive, Gotham City _

Dick's late. Again. It's family dinner night, but not Full Family Dinner Night™. This means it’s only Bruce, Alfred, Damian, Carrie, Duke, Cass, Dick, and Tim. (Okay. That's a lot of people, but compared to Full Family Dinner Night™, it's practically  _ cozy. _ ) 

Jason's also here, despite claiming that no, he  _ doesn't _ live at the manor. Liar. Tim hasn’t seen him leave for longer than a day in _ weeks _ . 

Dick had managed to convince Bruce to let him bring Wally. It's shameful how an adult man can still use puppy eyes, and it  _ works _ . But Dick and Wally are late, so everybody's just sitting around and waiting.

Really, Tim muses, this shouldn't be so surprising. It happens every time they invite Wally over. It’s like Dick's procrastination abilities and Wally's complete lack of time management skills combine to keep them from ever doing anything on time. 

He doesn't understand how someone with  _ literal superspeed _ is late to everything, but here they are (or aren't). Hmm. Maybe the superspeed has something to do with it? Tim will have to see if Wally will let him run some tests when he  _ finally _ arrives.

Wally, despite being Dick's boyfriend, also spends a lot of time with the rest of the family. He's polite to Alfred and friendly with Bruce. He'll spend hours hanging out with any of the other kids, and Tim particularly enjoys talking science with him. 

This is the only thing preventing Tim from giving him the bat-version of a shovel talk, though he still made sure Wally knows that anyone in the family will not hesitate to kill him if he breaks Dick's heart. Although, Tim's pretty sure that won't happen. He can see the way Dick and Wally look at each other.

Tim is pulled from his thoughts when the door bangs open. Standing in the doorway is Wally, Dick clinging to his back like a seasick koala. 

"Urgghhh…" he groans, attempting to slide of Wally's back. He only succeeds in falling on the floor with an audible  _ thump _ . “Remind me to never do this again.”

Wally chuckles as he pulls Dick up. "That's what you said last time, babe."

Once they're both on their feet, Wally seems to realize that the entire room is staring at them. 

"I'm just gonna… Uhhh…" He awkwardly helps Dick into a chair before pulling one out for himself. 

They eat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Carrie blurts out, "How were you so late! You literally have superspeed," and points accusingly at Wally, who blushes red and turns to his boyfriend for help.

"It was my fault, I lost track of time, and Walls was taking a nap." Aaand, Dick to the rescue with his  _ extraordinary  _ mediation skills! (Never mind that that was almost definitely a lie.)

"Liar!" shouts Jason, who had apparently come to the same conclusion as Tim. Dick frowns and flicks a piece of rolled-up paper at him. 

Uh-oh. Tim's lived in this house long enough to know what's going to happen next. So has Bruce, who already looks like he wants a nap.

Sure enough, Jason scoops up the ball and tosses it toward Dick, but while his aim with guns is impeccable, his aim with paper is not. The ball rolls over to Cass, who picks it up. A mischievous smile spreads across her face. Jason, on the other hand, looks horrified. 

Cass lines up and hits him right in the eye. Jason collapses dramatically out of his chair, gasping about betrayal. Drama queen.

Wally's been around their family enough that he's not surprised at their antics anymore, but he still looks like he wishes he was hiding behind Dick. 

Carrie decides that now is the best time to pull a pad of sticky notes and her slingshot out of who-knows-where ("A Girl Scout is always prepared!") and begin shooting everyone. 

Soon enough, there are pieces of colored paper flying  _ everywhere _ . Tim's not ashamed to admit he threw a few of them. 

Poor, innocent, sane (relatively, Tim's seen footage of him jumping off a bridge.) Duke spends the first few minutes eyeing the door warily. However, when he realizes that he can use his powers to dodge, he spends the rest of the fight catching balls mid-air and flinging them right back. Tim is  _ very  _ jealous.

Even Damian joins in, making a few comments about his "superior marksmanship skills" before getting one right in the mouth from Cass.

Bruce has given up trying to stop them at this point and now has his phone out, taking pictures. (Tim has to remember to get Bruce to text him those later. The one of Damian choking will make  _ excellent _ blackmail.)

Then Alfred walks in from the kitchen, where he was preparing dinner, and everyone freezes. A final ball sails through the air from Carrie's slingshot and lands in Tim's glass of water. Alfred clears his throat.

Jason is the first to unfreeze.

“Sorry, Alfie.” He mutters, avoiding eye contact. The rest of the room joins in with a chorus of apologies.

The rest of the night continues (mostly) without incident until  _ someone _ (cough _ Damian _ cough) brings up the Justice League. Tim can tell that Wally realizes where this is going to go moments before Bruce turns to him.

“So, Wally, what’s the League up to now?”

He sighs, and Dick pats his back comfortingly.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” he asks Bruce, but before he can decide, Duke cuts in.

“Good news.  _ Please _ .” Nobody argues, so Wally takes that as his cue to continue.

“Good news is, the League listened to what you said about metas.” 

“Bad news?” Cass pipes up, and Tim watches as Wally’s face takes on the expression of a vet trying to find a way to tell a child their dog died. 

“... They’re sending Oliver.” And yeah, Tim can see why Wally didn’t want to say that. 

Batman doesn’t have a significant opinion on the Green Arrow one way or another, but Bruce Wayne? Absolutely  _ hates _ Oliver Queen. Tim wouldn’t want to be the one telling B that that man was sniffing around his city either.

However, Bruce doesn’t seem mad. Instead, it looks like he’s working through a problem in his head. When he reaches the end, he’s smirking. Bruce smirking, Tim decides, is terrifying.

“Wally,” he asks slowly, “what is Oliver afraid of?”

_ Ohhh _ . Tim likes this plan. This will be fun to watch, maybe even more entertaining than Hal, if Wally can give them the right info.

“Well… I don’t know that much about him,” Wally sounds nervous, but then Tim sees his eyes light up in a “eureka!” moment, “but, I know he doesn’t like small children.” he finishes with a grin.

Oh yes, this will be fun. Tim’s already formulating a plan in his head.

“Basically, we send the Robins after him, freak him out a bit, and warn them off. Let the League know that if they try again, there will be  _ consequences _ .”

“Consequences? What kind of consequences do you propose?” Damian asks, sounding slightly scared of an answer. 

“That,” Tim continues, turning to Wally, “is where you come in.”

“So… you tell them that if they come into Gotham again, we’ll take one of them…” Carrie nods along, understanding.

“...And if they do, we stage a kidnapping…” Dick continues, grinning.

“...And I come with you willingly.” Wally finishes.

Jason smirks. “I call dibs on kidnapping Wally!”

The room erupts in a chorus of protests.

“No way!”

“I wanted to-”

“What?”

No fair!”

Before anyone can realize that there’s no way Jason is going to be allowed to do that alone, Tim interjects, “I’m coming too! It was my plan!”

No way is he passing up the opportunity to go to the Justice League’s  _ space _ base. And hack it. He can’t wait to see their expressions when they realize what he did with their servers. 

But first, traumatizing Green Arrow.

This is going to be  _ fun _ .

* * *

**The Bat-Signal**

_ GCPD building, roof _

Oliver hates this. He hates this  _ so _ much. What does Oliver hate, you might ask? Oliver hates Gotham City (could it get any more creepy?), the Batman (it’s his fault this is happening), the Justice League (why did they pick him??), his lack of superpowers (they would have gotten him out of this), the GCPD (the Bat-Signal?  _ Really _ ???), and last, but  _ certainly  _ not least, the two creepy demon-children currently circling him like sharks. (Why??? Why him????)

To anyone who may be wondering how Oliver got himself into this situation and what, exactly, is going on... Well, Oliver doesn’t know what’s happening either. As for how?

Well, the short story is that Batman doesn’t like metahumans, meaning Oliver, as one of the only non-powered members of the League, has to go to  _ Gotham City _ (ew) and try to get  _ Batman’s  _ attention (why). Like the past few encounters with the Bats have gone well for anyone.

The long story is far too complicated for Oliver to explain right now.

_ Anyway _ , he went to Gotham, lit the Bat-Signal, and stood on a dark roof in the freezing rain for  _ three whole hours _ before two creepy kids in traffic-light colored costumes showed up.

The shorter of the two has dark hair, tan skin, and darker colors. It’s wearing a tattered black cloak, trimmed with gold over its costume, and has an honest-to-god  _ katana _ in its hands. 

The taller one has red hair and what might be freckles under a layer of dirt caked onto its cheeks. It looks a little like Roy, which is  _ really _ creepy. It has a yellow cape and is clutching a slingshot in one hand. That… might actually be weirder than the katana.

Both are wearing a garish combination of red, yellow and green, which would be almost funny if not for the way the red was dripping like blood. Any exposed skin is streaked with blood and dirt, and it’s matted into their hair, too. They’re wearing black domino masks with white eyes, no pupils, and no iris, which further cements Oliver’s theory that they’re not human. The worst part is that even the taller one looks like it isn’t much older than twelve. God, Oliver  _ hates  _ little kids.

Seriously, what deity did he piss off in a past life to deserve this? It’s like all of his worst nightmares combined. At least none of his loved ones are in danger or dead, though the brighter one’s resemblance to a younger Roy is really starting to freak him out.

So far, they haven’t said anything. Oliver remembers what Hal told them about his encounter with Batgirl and Spoiler and decides that he should initiate conversation.

“I- I’m here on behalf of the Justice League,” he begins, very proud of how steady he’s keeping his voice, “we heard what you said about metas, but I’m… not?” Oliver finishes lamely.

The demon-kids stop and turn to him, tilting their heads like curious birds. Oliver gulps. 

“Can you… take me to the Batman?” He tries again.

They turn to each other, frowning, and one opens its mouth to speak. The noise that comes out sounds almost like birdsong, which, coming out of the mouth of a child, sounds  _ really _ weird.

They appear to be having some sort of conversation, waving their hands around and chirping loudly. Eventually, they seem to reach a consensus, and the shorter one stalks up to Oliver, katana at the ready like it’s  _ daring _ him to make a move.

“No,” it tells him, voice distorted and odd, and Oliver shivers. 

“But-” there’s no  _ way  _ he’s going back with nothing to show for it. 

They both turn to him, and even with the white eyes, he gets the feeling they’re glaring at him.

“Tell League, if send another? Consequences.” The taller one informs him, speech silted and punctuated by chirps and whistles.

“C-Consequences?” Oh god, this is  _ not _ going according to plan. How is he supposed to tell Diana that he didn’t get any information because he was threatened by children?

“You come again,” begins the one with the sword, and the other finishes, “we take one of you.”

_Oookay_ , that’s… creepy? But the League is the best of the best, so it’s not like they can really threaten anything and then follow through. 

Oliver scoffs a little before realizing that scoffing at the demon-children covered in blood might not be the smartest move. 

The two fix him with another glare. Then, as they back towards the edge of the roof, they open their mouths in unison.

“Robins never lie.” And then they’re gone, leaving behind too-sharp smiles and a sinking feeling of dread pooling in Oliver’s stomach. He doesn’t bother checking the sidewalk.

Needless to say, Oliver isn’t getting any sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i try to write lots of meetings and spookys but all my inspiration turns to batfam shenanigans instead
> 
> i might post a separate work with some random facts + a q&a  
> would anyone be interested in seeing that?  
> it would just be bullet points and worldbuilding (aka my unorganized rambles)


	6. the saints we see are all made of gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the justice league’s collected casefiles on the bats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took way to long for this little amount of words...  
> anyways enjoy!

**The Watchtower**

_ orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth _

Victor hums as he scrolls through the information the Justice League has collected on the “Bats”. They seem rather formidable, and if the decision was up to Vic, he’d leave them alone. Unfortunately, the decision is  _ not  _ up to him. Diana is in charge, as usual, and she does not give up easily. With the never-ending stream of vigilantes and the threats issued against the League, Victor wonders if it’s too late to quit the League. 

But he’ll be fine, right? The Watchtower is the  _ most secure _ place on (or orbiting around) Earth. If he stays in the Watchtower, he should be safe from any and all demon heroes(?). 

Worries assuaged, Victor pulls up a few more screens and begins analyzing the files.

* * *

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

* * *

**The Clocktower**

_ somewhere in Gotham City _

There is a woman in a room filled with computers, hunched over a keyboard. She’s surrounded by screens of all shapes and sizes, all lit up in shades of green. It casts an eerie glow across her face as she types a final sentence.

It’s perfect. Just enough to satisfy them without being  _ too  _ much personal information. A few more touches and a small signature at the bottom, and the documents are ready to go. 

Smirking, Barbra Gordon sends her files directly into the third-most encrypted computer system in the world with the push of a button.

* * *

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

* * *

**The Watchtower**

_ orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth _

Victor gets up from the couch he was sitting on. It was nice hanging out with some of the Leaguers off-duty, but now it’s time for him to go back to his file analysis. “Every bit of information counts,” Diana had told him.

He walks into the computer room and immediately freezes. Every single computer, save one, is glowing bright green with the staticky symbol of a snake flickering across them. The one normal computer is opened to the files they collected about the Bats. Only… it’s not  _ their  _ files. Vic reaches for the PA system with shaking hands.

“Guys? Come to the computer room. You’re going to want to see this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmk if the images don't work and ill upload another chapter that's all text
> 
> ((i realized there is a distressing lack of stephcass so far and i promis to fix that. in the meantime please enjoy the fact that they were def on a date in chap. 2, because everybody knows the best date activity is pranking superman. also, clark just notices they're sharing a milkshake, but imagine it looks something like this: ))


	7. the saints we see are all made of gold - text version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter 6, but with text instead of pics!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry to anyone who wanted an actual update, the next chap is coming soon!

**The Watchtower**

_orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth_

Victor hums as he scrolls through the information the Justice League has collected on the “Bats”. They seem rather formidable, and if the decision was up to Vic, he’d leave them alone. Unfortunately, the decision is _not_ up to him. Diana is in charge, as usual, and she does not give up easily. With the never-ending stream of vigilantes and the threats issued against the League, Victor wonders if it’s too late to quit the League. 

But he’ll be fine, right? The Watchtower is the _most secure_ place on (or orbiting around) Earth. If he stays in the Watchtower, he should be safe from any and all demon heroes(?). 

Worries assuaged, Victor pulls up a few more screens and begins analyzing the files.

* * *

* * *

**Justice League Official Files**

_The Bats are an_ _unknown number of spirit(?) vigilantes that protect Gotham City._

* * *

**Name:** Batman

**Height:** Unknown, described as very tall(?)

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Unknown

**Hair Color:** Unknown, may not have hair(?)

**Defining Features:** Described as huge dark shape with bat-like wings, glowing eyes and fangs. Described as male.

**Abilities:** Enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Name:** Batwoman

**Height:** Unknown

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Unknown

**Hair Color:** Red

**Defining Features:** Described as shadowy shape with bat-like wings, red hair and lips, and fangs. Described as female.

**Abilities:** Enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Description of Encounter:** Heard rumors and information from newspapers (Gotham Gazette). Have not met either yet, the current Justice League objective is to meet with Batman to discuss joining the League. Much less information about the Batwoman. Unknown if she is actually real. Will try to contact her if Batman does not work.

**_~ Wonder Woman_ **

* * *

**Name:** Unknown

**Height:** A little over 5½’

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Brown

**Hair Color:** Black

**Defining Features:** Normal looking adolescent male, seen wearing yellow sweater with black dots.

**Abilities:** No heartbeat, invisibility(?) and/or teleportation, spirit abilities (?).

**Description of Encounter:** Met in civvies for interview. Unknown if he was actually a Bat. Warned me away from investigating. Had no heartbeat, disappeared after talking, nearby civilians insisted he was not there. Left bloody handprint, analysis inconclusive.

**_~ Superman_ **

* * *

**Name:** Spoiler

**Height:** ≈ 5½’

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Varies

**Hair Color:** Varies

**Defining Features:** Purple cloak and blank grey face. Appears female.

**Abilities:** Can change face to mirror others, enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Name:** Batgirl

**Height:** ≈ 5½’

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Unknown, may not have eyes(?)

**Hair Color:** Unknown, may not have hair(?)

**Defining Features:** Pointed bat-like ears and stitching over mouth. Appears female.

**Abilities:** Enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Description of Encounter:** Met the two on GCPD building roof, used “Bat-signal” to summon. Tried to talk about the League, and was told to leave. Limited communication. Left nothing behind except for blood, analysis couldn’t identify. Bloody bat seems to be a symbol. Very intimidating, would not recommend engagement.

**_~ Green Lantern_ **

* * *

**Name:** Red Hood

**Height:** ≈ 6’

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** Glowing white(?)

**Hair Color:** Unknown, may not have hair(?)

**Defining Features:** Red head/skull(?), leather jacket, many guns. Appears male.

**Abilities:** Superhuman marksmanship skills, enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Description of Encounter:** Met a few times when doing work in Gotham. Seemed about as harmless as a creepy vigilante spirit can be. I did not ask about Batman or collect blood from the symbol, this was before the investigation and I’d like him to trust me. Doesn’t talk a lot but is capable of speech, despite not having a mouth (or nose). A pretty cool guy overall.

**_~ Arsenal_ **

* * *

**Name:** Nighthawk

**Height:** A little under 6’

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** White(?)

**Hair Color:** Black

**Defining Features:** Blue bird logo over chest and blue blood. Appears male.

**Abilities:** Superhuman agility, enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Description of Encounter:** Met on roof in Blüdhaven, very talkative & flirty. Flipped on and off the roof, left behind blue blood. Blood still not identifiable. Warned us away from Batman, he apparently dislikes metahumans. Bat territory includes Gotham and Blüdhaven. Still no progress with meeting the Bat. 

**_~ Flashes I & II_ **

* * *

**Name:** Robin(s)

**Height:** A little over 5’ (taller); A little under 5’ (shorter)

**Weight:** Unknown

**Eye Color:** White(?)

**Hair Color:** Red (taller); Black (shorter)

**Defining Features:** Red, yellow, and green costumes; Slingshot and yellow cape (taller); Katana and black cloak (shorter). Unknown gender.

**Abilities:** Communication in a bird-like language, enhanced senses (?), possibly some form of shadow manipulation, unknown spirit(?) abilities.

**Description of Encounter:** Met at “Bat-signal”, no acknowledgement of my not being a meta. Warned again not to seek out Batman. Threatened if we send more Leaguers, they will kidnap someone? Unknown if the threat is something to worry about. Also left blood, still no identification. 

**_~ Green Arrow_ **

* * *

* * *

**The Clocktower**

_somewhere in Gotham City_

There is a woman in a room filled with computers, hunched over a keyboard. She’s surrounded by screens of all shapes and sizes, all lit up in shades of green. It casts an eerie glow across her face as she types a final sentence.

It’s perfect. Just enough to satisfy them without being _too_ much personal information. A few more touches and a small signature at the bottom, and the documents are ready to go. 

Smirking, Barbra Gordon sends her files directly into the third-most encrypted computer system in the world with the push of a button.

* * *

* * *

**🦇 Official Bat Files 🦇**

_ Here’s some insider information! You’re welcome! _

* * *

****

**Name:** Batman

**Spirit of:** Gotham

**Origin:** Born (with the Batwoman) from the darkest corners of Gotham City. No-one quite knows how.

**Defining Features:** All-black, pointed ears, huge bat wings, tallest Bat.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, flight, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Batwoman

**Spirit of:** Gotham

**Origin:** Born (with the Batman) from the darkest corners of Gotham City. No-one quite knows how.

**Defining Features:** Red hair and lips, pointed ears, large bat wings.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, flight, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

  


**Name:** Robin(s)

**Spirit(s) of:** Justice

**Origin(s):** Children killed unjustly in Gotham join the Bat to get justice and stay to help the Mission.

**Defining Features:** Red, green, and yellow outfits. Red hair and slingshot or black hair and katana.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, communication in another bat/bird-like language, superhuman marksmanship (Red), superhuman blade skills (Black), other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Batgirl

**Spirit of:** Shadows

**Origin:** Created by the Batman and the Batwoman to be their heir.

**Defining Features:** All-black, pointed ears, stitching over mouth, ragged cape.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, minor psychic capabilities, precognition, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Nighthawk

**Spirit of:** Blüdhaven

**Origin:** Born from the darkest corners of Blüdhaven, Likely the same way as the Batman and the Batwoman.

**Defining Features:** Blue bird logo, escrima sticks, the only Bat with blue blood.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, minor electric manipulation, enhanced flexibility, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Red Hood

**Spirit of:** Vengeance

**Origin:** Unknown spirit out for blood, was assimilated into the Bats.

**Defining Features:** Bloody red skull, leather jacket, many guns.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities (especially strength), superhuman marksmanship, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Catwoman

**Spirit of:** Thieves

**Origin:** Formerly a cat burglar, claimed to be the Batman’s mate.

**Defining Features:** Cat-like ears, eyes, and claws, whip.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, can break into anything, communication in another bat/bird(/cat)-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Oracle

**Spirit of:** Technology

**Origin:** Brought to life by the Batman from the internet itself.

**Defining Features:** Green lights, screens, and text, a green snake symbol (🐍).

**Abilities:** The internet itself, can hack anything, can possess any piece of tech temporarily, communication in any language (including bat/bird), other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Red Robin

**Spirit of:** Secrets

**Origin:** A Robin so skilled it took on its own name and identity.

**Defining Features:** Red and black with gold bandoliers, bo staff, bloody bird wings.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, flight, tech possession (not as skilled as Oracle, but better than any other hacker), communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Spoiler

**Spirit of:** Identity

**Origin:** A formerly human vigilante claimed by the Batgirl to be her mate.

**Defining Features:** Purple cloak, smooth grey face.

**Abilities:** Shadow manipulation, enhanced senses and abilities, copying and stealing faces and voices, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**Name:** Signal

**Spirit of:** Light

**Origin:** Brought to life from the Bat-signal by the Batman.

**Defining Features:** Yellow and black, emits light, only daytime Bat.

**Abilities:** Shadow and light manipulation, enhanced senses (especially vision) and abilities, precognition, communication in another bat/bird-like language, other spirit abilities.

* * *

**_Here’s some information to sate your curiosity. Do not attempt to come to Gotham or Blüdhaven again. There will be consequences. Remember, curiosity killed the cat, and I can guarantee satisfaction will not bring it back this time._ **

**_~_ ** **🐍**

* * *

* * *

**The Watchtower**

_orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth_

Victor gets up from the couch he was sitting on. It was nice hanging out with some of the Leaguers off-duty, but now it’s time for him to go back to his file analysis. “Every bit of information counts,” Diana had told him.

He walks into the computer room and immediately freezes. Every single computer, save one, is glowing bright green with the staticky symbol of a snake flickering across them. The one normal computer is opened to the files they collected about the Bats. Only… it’s not _their_ files. Vic reaches for the PA system with shaking hands.

“Guys? Come to the computer room. You’re going to want to see this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to [marinamar4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinamar4/pseuds/marinamar4) for bringing to my attention that ppl who are using translators to read can't read my pics!!


	8. the ones we hail are the worst of all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> diana is stubborn. duke is exasperated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little shorter but i had to post something
> 
> enjoy a lil stephcass at the beginning because ive been ignoring them

**The Batcave**

_ unknown location under Gotham _

Steph is gathered in the cave with the other girls and Duke (the only “sane” boy) as they read over Babs’s writing. She’s gotta admit, it’s pretty good. It’s a careful blend of their actual abilities and personalities and the myths based on them, and if she didn’t know better, she’d be scared too. 

Anyway, It’s all good until they reach the part that refers to her as Cass's “mate”.

“What the heck, Babs?” Steph splutters, cheeks red. Babs just grins.

“Well, I couldn’t just call you her girlfriend, could I? That’s just not as scary!”

Steph opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by Cass.

“Is something… wrong with ‘mate’?” Her face is scrunched up in confusion (which is kinda cute- not the time, Steph!), but she also looks nervous. Steph rushes to reassure her.

“No! I mean it just-” she stammers, “-just… sounds kinda weird? It’s fine, I don’t mind!”

Cass grins, and this time Steph can’t resist kissing her, lips soft and tasting of vanilla against her own.

“Gross! Get a room!” Carrie yelps from behind them and Steph turns around, sheepish.

Duke looks like he wants to say something, but he’s cut off as the door to the cave slams open. Standing in the doorway is Dick, phone held aloft, panting like he just ran a marathon.

“Diana’s coming!” he shouts, racing down the stairs. 

Babs curses and opens up another screen. “How long?”

Dick checks his phone again, scrolling through messages, and winces when he apparently finds the right one.

“Like… half an hour?”

“Shi-oot!” she corrects, apparently remembering Carrie, and begins typing frantically.

“It’s daytime, so Duke will have to go. A quick in and out, let her know that we’re carrying through with the threat. Go get suited up, now!” Babs motions towards Duke, who looks stunned for a second before heading off, grumbling under his breath. 

“…have to intimidate Wonder Woman…stupid day shift…just wanna sleep...why can’t I have a normal family…”

Steph giggles. "As if you're any better!"

Duke flips her off.

* * *

**Gotham Gazette**

_ downtown Gotham City _

Diana is standing on the roof of the Gazette building when she hears a  _ thump _ behind her. 

The reporters she talked to were rather unhelpful, pointing out that the only way to reliably contact a Bat was using the Bat-signal. She  _ knows  _ that. The problem is that the signal only calls minor Bats, and she needs to talk to the Batman himself. 

So, she went to the biggest newspaper in Gotham, figuring that they, at least, would have  _ some  _ information. But no, not even their best reporter, Vikki Vale, has anything helpful to say. 

What was it the Bats did to make the city so scared? Diana is honestly beginning to wonder if they’re really “heroes” at all. No good hero would scare their city’s people so much that they refused to answer questions from  _ Wonder Woman _ . 

But here she is, on a rooftop, pondering this new mystery, when someone lands behind her.

Turning around, she casts an analytical glance at the newcomer. It is clearly a Bat if the white symbol on its chest has anything to say about it. 

It’s dressed in a sort of armor, metal plating covering most of its body and colored yellow and black. When it moves, small sparks fly from its joints, and it seems to be emanating light, a faint glow in the setting sun. 

Remembering the files from the mysterious “Oracle,” she’d have to say…

“Signal?”

The creature inclines its head in confirmation, stalking closer with jerky, hesitant movements. Or maybe “hesitant” isn’t the right word. It’s more like it’s trying to walk like a human, but this is its first try. Curious.

As it gets closer, Diana notices that under the glossy black visor that covers the Signal’s face(?), there’s a hint of skin. The yellow drew her eyes away at first, but its mouth and the skin around it are exposed, revealing warm brown cheeks and sharp fangs poking out from under the top lip. 

She remembers the phrasing in the files, how it stated that the Bats “stole” the spirits of children, and feels a sudden rush of pure, righteous fury. How  _ dare _ that creature take innocent children for its- its-  _ crusade‽  _ *

Diana wonders if there’s a way to release their spirits. Perhaps she can help them find closure, freedom from the demon that turned them into these…  _ monsters _ .

She has to approach tactfully, though. One wrong word could spell disaster for this whole encounter. She prepares to speak, but Signal beats her to it.

“You,” it hisses out, voice distorted like static from an old TV, “get three questions. Then, you  _ leave. _ ”

Alright, Diana can work with that. She just has to find the three best questions to ask. Plus, she can probably talk this spirit into more answers if she figures out its motivations. She’s not the Amazonian ambassador to man’s world for nothing.

First, some information.

“Are you… Were you once… Human?” Diana asks carefully. This seems to amuse the Signal, as it lets out a cracking noise that might be a laugh. 

Smirking, it replies, “Depends on your definition of “human”,  _ princess _ .”

So, that’s a nonstarter, time for a more direct approach.

“Are you… happy like this?” She gestures to, well, all of it. A little blunt, but this will hopefully get better answers.

Unfortunately for her, Signal just grins. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Ugh. This is much less productive than Diana had hoped. She still has many questions, but she knows what this one has to be.

“Can you take me to meet the Batman?”

This, evidently, is the wrong thing to say, because the Signal’s grin slips off its face.

“No.”

“But-” Diana tries again.

“No,” Signal repeats, fangs glinting as the glow emanating from it increases. “Three questions are up. Leave now, or else.”

“Please, I need to know. Is there a way to free you? How long have you been like this? Why does Batman hate the League?” She’s desperate, reaching out to grab its arm. Hissing, Signal slaps her hand away.

“You have made a mistake.” It growls, tone dark and dangerous. “We will come soon to collect… payment. Do not bother running. There is no escape.” 

Then, the Signal is gone as if it was never there, leaving nothing but a faint glow dissipating in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * this (‽) is an _interrobang_. it means exactly what you think it means. it felt appropriate.
> 
> im thinking abt posting some fanart up [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29300289)  
> would anyone want to see that?


	9. this is my kingdom come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the watchtower is infiltrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember when my jl parts and my batfam parts were the same length? haha good times
> 
> anyways im not dead so enjoy.

**The Watchtower**

_ orbiting approx. 350 km above Earth _

Dinah glances around the Watchtower meeting room yet again, dong a mental headcount.  _ Wow _ . There are a lot more members of the Justice League than she remembers. 

Honestly, she hasn’t even heard of half of these people. Plastic Man? Vixen? Fire and Ice?

The only person on board who’s  _ not  _ in the meeting room is Superboy, who came up with Superman because he was bored but is not technically a League member, so he’s off… somewhere.

The reason for such a large meeting is because someone (ahem…  _ Wonder Woman _ ) decided to offend the creepy vigilantes apparently capable of hacking the Watchtower and who knows what else, and now they’re threatening to kidnap people.

The atmosphere is tense, and everyone is chattering nervously among each other, except the second Flash, who, strangely, looks bored out of his mind as he fiddles with his phone.

A hush settles over the room as Aquaman stands to speak, but before he can say or do anything, the lights shut off, and the room is plunged into darkness.

* * *

Tim grins as he plugs the USB into the zeta-beam transporter. The League likes to think they have top-of-the-line tech, but one push of a button sends him and Jason undetected directly into the heart of the Watchtower.

Oracle already sent the go-ahead, which means the League is all currently locked up in one of their state-of-the-art meeting rooms, complete with lead walls and white noise generators. Tim thanks all the deities he knows for their paranoia. 

And while technically, Supes or Wonder Woman could probably break out, it wouldn’t be without causing massive damage to the tower, and not all of the Leaguers can survive in space. Plus, by the time they realize it’s an attack and not just a glitch, Tim, Jason, and Wally will be long gone.

With a nod of acknowledgment and a check to make sure all costumes are working, they split up and head off in separate directions. 

Jason’s going to kidnap Wally, and though he’s not the best at stealth, he’s certainly better at crawling through vents than Tim and his wings. (He  _ could _ take them off, but it’s the principle of the thing.)

Tim is going to the computer room to add a few  _ upgrades _ to the computers. 

The first is a setup that will duplicate all information they have directly to the Batcomputer and the Clocktower, so Babs doesn’t have to keep hacking in every time they need something. 

The second is a few bugs that make the computers get glitchy around any bat-classified pieces of information. 

The last is a backdoor that will allow Babs easy, undetected access to the servers in a much shorter time. Tim’s pretty sure Babs  _ could _ do this all herself, but it would take much longer, and Tim’s already here, so why not kill two birds ( _ ba-dum-tss _ ) with one stone?

Tim is tiptoeing down a hallway, reaching out every few steps to place handprints on the wall or leave a feather artfully placed in a pool of blood (he’s pretty proud of himself so far) when he hears a noise behind him.

Whirling around, Tim sees someone at the end of the hall. It’s… Superboy?

Crap. Nobody was supposed to be out of the meeting room.  _ Crap. _ He’s  _ so _ going to get Babs for this later.

Also, why is Superboy so unfairly cute? _ Whoa. _ Not the time for a sexuality crisis, Tim.

Panicking, Tim searches his brain for an escape plan but staring into Superboy’s sapphire blue eyes, there’s only one he can think of.

Plan “Catwoman.”

* * *

Kon is wandering around the Watchtower when the lights shut out. He’s a little startled at first, but he figures it’s just a glitch or something. And okay, maybe a glitch on a satellite in  _ space  _ is something to be worried about, but it’s not like Kon can’t survive out there. So, thanking Rao for his x-ray vision, he continues exploring.

When the power still hasn’t come back on after almost half an hour, Kon’s starting to get worried. He resolves to go check on the League, even though he’s been  _ specifically  _ told not to interrupt, and they’re all superpowered adults who can handle themselves, and  _ nobody  _ has contacted him since the blackout, and-

Okay, maybe he’s more than a  _ little _ worried. Kon quickens his pace.

So, the plan’s going  _ great  _ until he spots something down a hallway that he doesn’t recognize. It’s a shadowy shape, and it must be wearing lead or something because he can’t get much of a read. Also, it doesn’t have a heartbeat, which is… what?

Feeling  _ slightly  _ spooked, Kon clears his throat. The person(?) spins around, startled, and all the hallway lights flick on, letting him get a better look at it.

It looks vaguely human-shaped, with pale skin and black hair. Its facial structure is delicate, almost pretty, or it would be, if it was on an actual person and not… whatever it is.

It’s dressed in red and black, although it’s hard to tell from this distance how much of the red is blood. Gold bandoliers crisscross its chest, converging at a gold logo that looks like the head of a bird. 

It’s wearing a black domino mask that obscures most of its face, while the rest is smeared with blood. But its most distinguishing feature is the two bloody wings that arch from its back, shifting as it moves.

Kon stares, dumbfounded, as the creature slinks closer. All too soon, it’s right in front of him, and he notes that it’s actually shorter than him. It reaches up, a smirk exposing teeth far too sharp to be human, and cups his face in its hand. What?

“Cute.” it rasps, and…  _ What?? _

Kon.exe has stopped working.

Did the creepy bird-person thing just call him  _ cute? _

_ WHAT??? _

Distantly, he notices a faint hissing sound somewhere off to his left. By the time he recognizes it as a gas canister, it’s too late.

* * *

Jason cannot  _ believe  _ how easy it is to break into the Watchtower. Really, if he intended to hurt them, he could have probably murdered half of them before anyone realized what was happening. Maybe this will encourage them to update their security.

He spends a little while trashing rooms and leaving fun  _ surprises _ for the League to find later before deciding he should probably get Wally out while he can. He’ll probably want to help with the… redecoration.

The vents are big enough to crawl through easily and lined with lead, which  _ has  _ to be a security hazard, but Jason’s not complaining. With the assistance of a map in his helmet display, he makes his way slowly through the air ducts towards the meeting room.

Jason drops in undetected, and though he bumps into a few people, there’s enough chaos going around that no-one thinks twice about it. He doubts Supey will notice an extra person. Or one less person. Seriously, who trains these people?

Just to be safe, Jason drops a lead-lined cloak over Wally, who startles so bad he nearly screams. Too late, Jason remembers he was supposed to warn Wally. Quickly, he begins pressing a finger on Wally’s arm. 

_ Long. Short. Long. Short. Pause. Long. Long. Long. Pause. Long. Long. Pause. Short. _

_ Come. _

Wally relaxes and taps back a message of his own.

_ Short. Long. Short. Pause. Short. Pause. Short. Long. Pause. Long. Short. Short. Pause. Long. Short. Long. Long. _

_ Ready. _

Confirmation received, Jason silently hoists Wally into the ducts, and they crawl back out. Now, Jason knows better than anyone not to celebrate victories that haven’t happened yet, but he still pauses after they’re out of hearing range of the meeting room to give Wally a celebratory fist-bump.

When they’re back out of the vent system, Wally, predictably, speeds around for a while with some fake blood he stole from Jason, who waits patiently by the Zetas.

* * *

Whew. Tim can’t believe that  _ actually _ worked. Thank God for kryptonite-laced sleeping gas. And Steph had made fun of him for being overprepared! He’s  _ so  _ going to rub this in her face later. He’ll just have to get Barbara to show them the footage and-  _ shoot _ .

If they watch the footage, then  _ everyone  _ will be witness to Tim pulling a Selina on  _ Superboy _ . Oh God, he’s never going to hear the end of this. Also, his family is  _ much  _ better at spotting blushes under domino masks. Well, it was a good reputation while it lasted.

Tim absently wonders whether he could do a little hacking on his own but, there’s no way Babs wouldn’t notice _. _ He’ll just have to hope that she isn’t paying too much attention to the cams.

He pushes down his growing panic in favor of plugging a few devices into various ports of the main computer, waiting for Oracle to work her magic. Bored, he pulls a few handfuls of feathers out of a belt pouch and tosses them around. Then, he’s struck by an idea worthy of Carrie, master of pranking, herself.

Grinning maniacally, Tim begins filling every drawer in the room with prop blood. Okay, maybe he’s going a  _ little  _ overboard, but it’s not like they can’t afford to buy more. Tim’s practically a millionaire in his own right.

The computer chimes to confirm the upload, and he puts the finishing touches on before heading out.

When Tim gets back to the Zeta beams, he’s met with an antsy Wally and Jason, who holds up his phone at him in place of a greeting. He’s too far away to see the screen, but with the way Jason is grinning-

“Hey, Timbers, Barbara was just telling me you ran into a certain clone earlier!”

_ FU _ -

* * *

After nearly an hour of panicked yelling and waving of phone flashlights, the lights finally turn back on, and the doors slide open. Dinah sighs in relief at the comforting sight of… well…  _ sight _ .

It takes an additional twenty minutes to calm everyone down, during which Cyborg determines that it was a simple technical glitch that caused them to be locked in the meeting room for forty-five minutes. 

Dinah’s a little skeptical, to say the least, so she isn’t all that surprised when Superboy bursts into the room with a panicked expression on his face, yelling about bird-demons with Kryptonite gas.

This sends the room back into an uproar until Dinah, doing yet  _ another _ headcount, notices something that chills her to the bone.

“Wally’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still no fighting sorry... i promise there will be some... soon...  
> ull notice i added a new ship tag ;)
> 
> kudos to [ProwlSIC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlSIC) to helping me figure out how Tim's wings work, among other things. ill post the super-helpful diagram they drew with my art [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29300289/chapters/71953362#workskin) after chapter 10 is posted


End file.
